Analysis of the Interview with the Thinking of the Author - Essay Example

? The person that I decided to interview is my Father –in-Law, Max Thomas. Appendix A shows the nine questions used in the interview. The answers of Max Thomas were compared to my answers for the same interview in this term paper. For the first question in the interview Max said that he considers himself a rational person. He is a person that likes to be well informed before making a decision. Mr. Thomas also likes to plan for all foreseeable future and events. When I compare myself to Max I realize that I am also a rational person. We differ in that I do not think too much about future events and I like to live in the present and I use the past as a point of reference to analyze what occurred in the past to learn from my mistakes and make better decisions. The second question of the interview Max said that he prefers to observe what is being performed and that living the event gives him better understanding of what is happening. He also said that visual and audible sensory stimulation of the actual event would encode the memory in a more permanent fashion. Despite the fact that he prefers to live an event he also admitted that there is value in reading about an event. My mode of thinking is completely different. I prefer to read about an event. Reading about an event helps a person visualize an event from other people’s perspective. There should be multiple opinions about an event because many writers or journalists will write differently. If I was at the event, I still prefer to listen to another’s person written opinion. My perspective about the event might be biased. For the third question Max said that it depends on the situation. He said that if the material he is studying is complex, quite involved and involving numerous sequential steps, or if the material is foreign or perhaps non intuitive such that he must concentrate because he does not want any background noise which would distract him or interrupt his though process. He said that when studying simple or light material he actual prefers to listen to some light music which helps him relax. Well in regards to my perspective I do not a like to listen to any music or noise when I’m studying ever. It makes me lose my concentration. In the fourth question Max Thomas said that he has taken the Myers Briggs test. He said that he had taken the test, but he does not remember the date he took it or the actual results. To him the results to these types of psychological tests were as credible as the night weather forecast. He also said that he considers these types of tests counterproductive and downright worthless, thus he had no reason to remember the specifics about the test because he did not care or believe in the results. My answer to this question was completely different. I took the Myers Briggs test recently. I believed in the results because they were very aligned with my personality. In the fifth question Max answer that he was intrinsically motivated. He said that he is clearly motivated from within and that external forces serve only to reinforce his internal satisfaction or to diminish it. In regards to external motivators he also said that they are important. To him positive reinforcement has great value to motivate people, however negative reinforcement, especially those on a continuing basis are counterproductive and typically a factor that hurts a person’s ability to have motivation. My perspective is similar to Max Thomas because I also find motivation from within. I have many goals that I have set to myself which serve as a motivational factor which inspire me to work hard in life to achieve my aspirations. I prefer intrinsic over extrinsic motivation because I believe that people should be motivated by what they think, not by external factors. On the sixth question Mr. Thomas said that his personality was probably determined by the sum of his experiences that he has had throughout his lifetime. For him some experiences might have had more effect on some situations and virtually no effect on others. He thinks that a person’s personality depends on who they are as well as any other factors. I tend to agree with Max that the sum of our experiences affects our personality, but the real effect occurs during childhood. I think my personality was influenced by the way my parents raised me. They both were loving parents and they had a tremendous positive impact in my life. In the seventh question Max specified an event that influenced his life. He was diagnosed with a terminal illness which he said brought him literally to within hours of dying. When he woke up from this event he believes he was given a second chance in life. He found a profound appreciation for the gift of life which all of us typically take for granted. To me my high school years were the event that had the most influential effect on my attitude. Once you become a teenager you start to gain more conscious of the world around you. The education, social interaction with friends, and family upraising combined created my personal attitude and perspective in life. In the eight question Max Thomas said he was an introvert. He believes he lacks social skills and confidence which are traditionally associated with extroverts. He is additionally uncomfortable in a large group and or with people he does not know well. He considers he is not very expressing when he is talking and he feels that he appears less approachable than he actually is. Similarly to Max I am an introvert, but our perspectives about it are completely different. I believe I’m an introvert because I like to reflect, mediate, and think from within. I differ from Max a lot in that despite being an introvert I do not lack social skills. I’m a good communicator and an active listener. In the last question Max said for the first attributed, extroversion, that he was quite introverted and he did know how to expand further on the answer. I feel that extroversion is part is good attribute. It can help a person view situations based on reality. In regards to my personality I’m an introverted just like Max. The second attribute discussed in the question was agreeableness. Mr. Thomas said he is an agreeable person or that perhaps it was better to say he was not disagreeable. He does not consider himself argumentative, not does he often try to initiate a disagreement, admitting enjoying doing so. He enjoys having a good discussion with someone some with a different view if they are amenable. I am similar to Max in that I’m an agreeable person. When a person has a different perspective I listen to what they said and analyze the situation. Even if I don’t agree with the person I let things go and avoid starting unnecessary arguments which to me are counterproductive most of the time. In the third attribute Max said he is more dependable and conscious than the majority of people. He said that once he accepts a task or responsibility he gives it his best effort. I am also a dependable and conscious person. To me being responsible shows you have a good character. In the fourth attribute, emotional stability, Max said he believes he is even tempered and typically he tries to ensure that his responses are measured and appropriate to the situation. I have great emotional stability which helps me socially because it makes it easy for me to interact with other people. For the last attribute, culture, Max said he is not sure what the question meant by culture. Culture can be defined as the learned and share way of thinking and acting among a group of people or society (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003, pg. 44). To me culture is very important in a person’s life. People from different parts of the world behave differently since all 210 countries in the world have different cultures. Culture influences my behavior in social situations. References Schermerhorn, J., Hunt, J., Osborn, R. (2003). Organizational Behavior (8th edition). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Appendix A: Interview Questions 1. Do you feel you are more of a rational individual or an irrational individual in terms of your actions? 2. Do you remember information more accurately if you observe the behavior being performed or do you prefer to read how the behavior is performed? 3. Do you prefer to study where it is quite or do you need a background noise to concentrate better? 4. Have you ever taken the Myers Briggs test? 5. Do you prefer to be intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated? Why? 6. Which experiences do you feel contributed most in the development of your personality? 7. What do you feel was the strongest influence on your attitude? 8. Which describes you most: extrovert or introvert? Why? 9. How do you think you rank among the Big Five Personality Traits (extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness/ dependability, emotional stability, and Culture)? Read More